Scott Schafer MAI, MRICS, joined Newmark Valuation & Advisory (V&A) practice in 2019 as a member of its executive leadership team. Based in the firm’s Buffalo, New York office, Schafer is executive managing director and head of strategy. In this position, he collaborates with Newmark’s information technology and template development teams to create derivative appraisal products and models that complement the firm’s current line of products and services. He also heads various efficiency improvement and cost-containment initiatives, including vendor software contract management and offshore support services.
Schafer is also the National Practice Leader for the Alternative Valuation Services specialty practice. This includes the firm’s “Evaluations” product line, an alternative to a traditional appraisal report, as well as the Appraisal Review services group.
Prior to Newmark, Schafer worked for roughly 12 years at Cushman & Wakefield. As executive managing director for quality control, he was responsible for standardizing and implementing new processes, architecting risk management platforms and developing technology solutions that enhanced appraisal execution and product quality.
Schafer previously worked for 16 years at HSBC Bank, most recently as the senior vice president responsible for collateral asset monitoring. He also held various other senior commercial credit positions at HSBC. Earlier in his career, Schafer served as a senior vice president with Peter F. Korpacz & Associates in New York City.
Professional Achievements
- Certified Six Sigma Green Belt, 2004
- President’s Award for Outstanding Service to HSBC, 1999
- National semifinalist, RIT/USA Today Quality Cup Competition, 1999
Professional Affiliations
- Chairman, Industry Advisory Council of the Appraisal Foundation, 2020-2021
- Chairman, Industry Advisory Council of the Appraisal Foundation, 2017-2018
- Chapter secretary, Buffalo Chapter of the Appraisal Institute, 1996
- Board of directors, Buffalo Chapter of the Appraisal Institute, 1994-1996
- Ethics committee chairman, Buffalo Chapter of the Appraisal Institute, 1994
- Reviewer, The Appraisal Journal, 1994
Licenses and Designations
- MAI designation, Appraisal Institute
- Member, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS)
- Certified general real estate appraiser in New York
Lectures and Presentations
- “Quality Control: Producing Appraisal Reports and Services That Delight Clients,” speaker at Appraisal Institute Annual Conference on July 30, 2018
- “U.S. Real Estate Outlook,” keynote speaker at meeting hosted by New York State Commercial Association of REALTORS on January 19, 2017
- “Alternative Experience Requirements,” panel member providing testimony to the Appraisal Qualifications Board of the Appraisal Foundation on October 16, 2015
Publications
- Content reviewer/consultant, The Appraisal of Real Estate 15th Edition, Chicago, The Appraisal Institute, 2020
- Content reviewer/consultant, The Dictionary of Real Estate Appraisal 6th Edition, Chicago, The Appraisal Institute, 2015
- Content reviewer/consultant, The Appraisal of Real Estate 14th Edition, Chicago, The Appraisal Institute, 2013
- “Implementing a Quality Control Review Process: The Need for Quality Control Review,” The Appraisal Journal, Summer 2011
- Schafer, Scott M. Exceeding Expectations - Producing Appraisal Reports and Services That Delight Clients, Chicago, The Appraisal Institute, 2011
- “The Negative Cash Flow Dilemma,” PwC Real Estate Investor Survey, Fourth Quarter 2010
- “Equator Principles Encourage Responsible Global Development,” Real Estate Forum, September 2004
- “In India, Equilibrium Persists Despite Growth,” Real Estate Forum, May 2004
- “Tax Law Changes in Panama Prompt Building and Oversupply,” Real Estate Forum, January 2004
- “Improving Real Estate Loan Turnaround With the Internet,” The Journal of Lending & Credit Risk Management, July 1998
- “Bank Branch Valuation: An Empirical Approach,” The Community Banker, Fourth Quarter 1994
- “Bank Branch Valuation: An Empirical Approach,” The Appraisal Journal, April 1994
Education
Schafer earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Southampton College of Long Island University.